Post-Christmas Notes

Just a few things I'll want to remember either next Christmas or at some other point:

Nightgowns: Until/unless Samantha goes through a HUGE growth spurt, I really only need 5 yards of stretch velour for the nightgowns. Really. Honest. However, it would be good to remember that I need two small spools of Gutterman thread and two large spools (one for the sewing machine, one on the far right spindle on the serger). Ask me how I know (the Monster Joanne's on Christmas eve shudder). And two bobbins works fine. Also, double-check Sam's neckline; dark green one is too big, but aqua one is a bit small. Last technical point, they really don't need to be that long; remeasure, so they don't come down below the knees.

Remember that, even with serger hassles, it only takes 2 hours to make one of the nightshirts, from cutting out through final hem. So, next year, make a weekend of it; shop, buy and wash on Saturday, then take 6 or fewer hours on Sunday and just FINISH THEM!

The Muppet: it makes absolutely no sense to leave live stitches on the underarms for later grafting if one is working with fun fur. Just bind the suckers off and sew the seams. Much less of a headache. Also, remember to allow more ease in the body; putting the buttons right on the edge helped some, but not enough.

And, in general, having margin in the schedule is a good thing. This horrific flu threw the schedule all to hell-and-gone; if I'd been beforehand, I could have slept, instead of staggering through the remaining tasks.

God Bless Ravelry!

You know that 20+ year old UFO that I've been whinging about? The one where I ran out of said 20+ year old yarn before I finished? Turns out, someone on Ravelry has some of it in her stash and was willing to trade! There isn't much, but some is better than none! Woot! Here's hoping there's enough!

A Few Pix and A Few Updates

Finally got a few pix of The Muppet, though it doesn't photograph all that well. Here are the sleeves, in progress:









And the (all but) finished project:









Very simple garter stitch pattern, with the sleeves knit in the round to the armpits, and the front and back knit as one piece to the pits. The whole thing was then knit as one piece from there up, including the the little Peter Pan collar (which you really can't see in the photo). Should make finishing it a snap, though the first few inches after the armscyes is a PITA to work. (Using the "two circulars" method, as if knitting in the round, with the fronts to the middle of each sleeve on one needle and the rest on the other, seems to work best.) Sam picked out somewhat expensive buttons, but she was absolutely right, they are the only ones that could stand up to the rest of the jacket. The kid has a fine sense of style/taste.

The idea came from this coat I knitted for her Barbie; Sam liked it so much, she wanted one for herself. (I'm leaning towards wanting one, myself! So soft and fluffy!) I made up the pattern and if I had to do it over again, I would make the body a little bigger around. I also did not make it full length, as Barbie's is, so I might make it a little longer next time, too.

Forgot to mention in my most recent post that I also have two camp shirts to make before Christmas. And in the interim, I have a good start on the first draft of a silly tea cozy. Thought I'd be finished with it by now, but.....

Holi-daze

Why am I sitting here blogging when there are so many Christmas presents waiting to be done? I suspect for most crafters, that question answers itself.....

I have come to terms with the fact that not everything will be done in time for Christmas. These include, in no particular order:

1) Cookie A's German stockings for a friend.

2) & 3) the other two pair of Cookie A German stockings that I was asked for, when I showed two other friends the pattern.

4) the slippers for my sister who felted the first pair. (Well, I actually felted them, but she further felted them, so that they no longer fit.)

5) the slippers for my brother-in-law, her husband. He did NOT felt his further, but wears them all the time and would like a second pair to wear in bed (the others are always too dirty from being walked in).

6) socks for my mom

7) a scarf for my brother, in his team's colors. (This won't get done partly because I'm not liking how the colorway and the pattern are playing with each other. I've tried a second pattern, but don't like that much better. May have to use this yarn for something else, and buy separate skeins of the colors and do something completely different for this present.)

8) the blasted sweater-coat from 20 years ago that I swore I would finish this year. I made a valiant effort, but ran out of the (20 year old) yarn, with about 10" left on the fronts. I was so close! Of course, they don't make the yarn anymore, and the yarn they suggested isn't nearly close enough. Have been cogitating on several possible solutions.....

This does not mean, dear reader, that I have been idle, nor that I have given up entirely! Far from it! I have all but finished my daughter's Christmas sweater, for which she picked out the yarns and colors and buttons. I have only to seam the armscyes at the bottom (knitted it as much as I could w/o seams), attach the buttons, and weave in the ends, so that will definitely get done. Also, Barbie's Christmas dress will be finished (it's a freaking tube, half of which is knitted flat, and two sleeves) and two tea cozies (both specifically requested) will be designed and finished. And the night shirts for at least my mom and my daughter will be done, though the Lady only knows if mine will be.

One thing that might end up on either list is a sweater for my daughter's AG doll, to match the one I made for her. We'll see how that goes.

Really need to get some pix taken......